


Desperation

by BipLing



Category: Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-11 01:01:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11703513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BipLing/pseuds/BipLing
Summary: I have to leave, Craig. There's no other option.





	Desperation

**Author's Note:**

> A lil angsty scene I've been thinking of.

Just as I manage to get the last box filled with miscellaneous items; cooking utensils, silverware, whatever else I can cram in there. Craig just so happens to walk in. Of all the times I would love to see him, now is not one of them. Definitely not now. I just cannot let him know. His smile is beaming, like always. A baseball cap is turned backwards on his head, his coach jersey unbuttoned. Something good must have happened with the team, I assume.

“Hey, guess what?” The warmth emanating from his grin makes my gut fill with anxiety. I really hope he does not notice all the other boxes I have lying around the house. He turns to glance into the living room as he speaks. “Briar and Hazel’s team just destroyed-” 

He breaks off.   
He does notice them.   
Fuck me. 

“Hey, Bro..” Craig scowls in vague confusion, his mouth a tight line. He turns to look at me, trying to speak slowly and calmly. “What’s going on here?” 

I lean myself against the box on the counter, letting out a defeated sigh. I really wish he did not have to find out this way. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt him. I thought that maybe if I left in secret, like some main character in a drama, the hurt would not be as bad. For either of us. But, I guess life did not want it to be easy and relatively painless. The jig is up. 

I let myself slouch, show how drained I am. I am going to try to get this over with as fast as possible, I do not have the energy for a drawn out argument. Turning to look at him, I see anxiety blooming in his eyes. His mouth downturned into a grimace of disbelief. He knows, but probably is hoping he is mistaken. A thick silence blankets us. The only sound being the grandfather clock ticking away in the living room. Every second that passes just makes it more difficult to start talking, like I want to. I want to tell him that everything is going to be okay, but I have no other choice. To tell him how much I love him and the kids. But, I just stand there, staring into his face. 

“..Hey?” Craig’s voice is surprisingly small, strained. His hands clench into tight fists. Taking a breath, he steels himself for the upcoming confession. “What are you doing with all these boxes?” 

A pause. I don’t answer. Refuse to.

“Packing? Going somewhere?” 

His voice gets louder, desperation thickly coating it like syrup.

“You’re leaving.. aren’t you?” 

I can hear it getting to him, his voice cracking at the end there. FUCK. Why does it have to be so hard? I turn away, trying to avoid the eyes on me. My hands grip at the counter’s edge, scratching at the marble. I grit my teeth, tears welling up. Regardless of how many times I have prepared myself for this moment in the recent weeks; none of it helped at all. 

“Please, babe.. just answer me, will you?” 

I swallow, answering him in a quiet mutter.

“.. Yes.” 

“Yes what?” His voice is big and booming, just like when he would yell at the girls during drills. Gone was the jovial tone. He was completely serious. 

“I said, YES.” I whip around, getting right up in his face. I scowl into his. Do not fucking cry. “I’m leaving, Craig! I can’t stay here any longer! This place is eating me alive. I feel trapped in this suburban hell!” 

Craig seems to look past me, his mind churning through this heavy realization. I let him take his time, running a hand roughly through my hair. I seize the opportunity to return to what I was doing; packing up my shit. As I turn, he reaches out and grabs me by the wrist. I look back at him. Tears have filled up his eyes as well, being held back by pure will power. He pulls me towards him, into the tightest embrace he has ever given me. 

“Why..?” He whispers, his face buried in my hair. “I love you, you know that, right?” 

“I know. And I love you, too.” 

This seems to break the floodgate of emotions for him and the tears just come falling down. His arms tighten around me, the sobs coming out full force. 

“Then WHY are you leaving me? Leaving us? Don’t you fucking care about us at all?” Craig is nearly yelling at this point, voice choked with raw pain. “Please, baby, don’t leave me!” 

I just.. cannot take this right now. It is just too fucking much. I somehow get my arms free from against his body, trying to shove myself out of his arms. Stop hugging me. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop- 

He gets the hint, suddenly letting me go. I nearly trip onto the floor, gripping the counter to keep my balance. I glance at him. Craig looks like a fucking mess; crying, face flushed, trembling. I unusually feel.. awkward? Like you would with a stranger getting emotional around you. I do not want to comfort him, I just cannot do it. It would just mean more of a chance of me staying and I cannot risk that. I have to leave while the urge is still fresh. 

I cock my head to look at the clock. It has been nearly twenty minutes since he came over. Wasted time. Anxiety bubbles up in my stomach. At this rate I will never go through with it. 

I feel his big hand envelop mine. When did he get so close? Shifting my eyes over, I see he dropped to his knees, groveling in an effort to get me to change my mind. My heart fucking aches. My stomach feels like it is full of vitriol. Stop it, Craig. Just let me leave. PLEASE. 

“Babe.. please don’t leave me.” His face is downturned. Thankfully I do not have to look into that precious face again. I try to yank my hand out, but his grip is like a vice. He refuses to let go. 

“Craig!-” 

“No. You’re not going. I’m not going to let you. I love you way too much to just let you walk out like you want to.” 

“You just- You don’t UNDERSTAND-” My emotions hang on a thread, threatening to tip over. Just hold it together. Do not cry.

“What?! What could I possibly not understand?” He yanks me down to his level and I can see his face. Tears stain his face; his very angry, very distraught face. His grip on my hand tightens, pulling me closer. Craig’s voice lowers to an intense whisper. 

“Don’t you realize how long I’ve been waiting for this? Over 15 years. Nearly two decades. You show up out of nowhere, back in my life, and everything feels.. right. For once.” He swallows, letting his words stew in my mind. No, no, no, nonononononono- “Don’t take this away from me, Baby. You’re the only thing I want.”

I start crying. I just cannot take it anymore. My delicately crafted shell breaks open. Fuck you, Craig. Why did you have to be here? Why did I have to fall in love with you? It was not supposed to be like this. 

“Craig.. it’s not like I want to leave. I just- I HAVE to-” I try to stammer out an explanation, but I just stumble over myself. “I can’t be here anymore. I don’t belong here. Why can’t you just.. let me leave?” 

His voice turns cold as ice. He drops my hand. 

“Fine. If you want to go, then just go. The door’s right there. I’m not going to stop you. I’m giving you this one chance to leave-” He looks up at me, spite all over his face. “-before I really don’t let you.” 

I blink in confusion. Was he just bluffing? Was he serious? I sniffle, stiffly making my way over to the table to collect my keys and jacket. I look back at him. Craig is staring into the floor, in obvious denial. I feel bad. Maybe I should stay? 

No, it is too late for second guesses. I have to go. Now. As I make my way past him, his head jerks up, shooting a look over his shoulder at me. 

“Wait-” The desperation has returned to his voice. “Please!” 

I stop, looking back at him. What now? Will he stop trying to- 

“H-here.. I just wanted you to have this.” He hastily tugs out his wallet, producing a small, still crisp polaroid photo. It was That photo. The one we took on our camping trip. He looks so happy, giving me a tender kiss on the cheek. The light bathes over us, creating a soft, happy atmosphere. Fuck. Has he kept that in his wallet this whole time? Here come the waterworks again.

“It’s one of the things I will always hold dear to my heart. Next to you and the kids, that is. I thought you would.. want to hold onto it. For safe-keeping. You probably need it more than I do.” 

I gingerly take the photo. It feels like it is burning in my hands. I should let go, but I just.. cannot. Nostalgia washes over me; that amazing weekend we spent together. His confession floored me when I first heard it. God, I have to stop myself from crying. I continue to break down, sobs wracking my body. My knees grow weak and I slide down onto my ass. GOD. I cannot do it. I just do not have it in me to leave this precious man. I would have to be heartless to do that. 

Craig scoots over to me, clutching my face in his hands. He presses his forehead to mine and we both let our tears fall. After a couple of minutes of unbroken crying, we both feel numb. An after-cry afterglow embraces us on the floor of my kitchen. Again, the grandfather clock is all that disturbs this. He looks at me, beaming at me with warm smile on his face. Love is painted all over it. proceeding to wipe away the remnants of tears on my face. 

“Are you still going to leave?” 

I contemplate that question for less than a second. 

“.. No. Not anymore.” I nearly throw myself into his arms, shoving my face into the comfort of the crook of his neck. He smells sweaty and vaguely like sandalwood. It smells like home to me. 

“I’m sorry..” 

“No, no. It’s alright now. We’re alright. Everything’s going to be alright.” 

We sit like this for a while, with him gently rocking me back and forth. 

“What do you say we get all this stuff unpacked? And listen, if you ever feel like this again, just come and tell me. Vent to me. Yell at me. Whatever you need, okay, Bro?” 

A pause. 

“Just anything but this.” 

“Okay, Craig.” I sigh. 

“Promise?” 

“Promise.”


End file.
